IDAHO — While Idaho requires drivers and passengers to wear seatbelts, riding unrestrained in the bed of a pickup truck is legal for most people in the state.
The only restriction applies to children under 7, who must be inside the vehicle in a certified child seat or booster seat. Outside of that requirement, there are no restrictions — including on highways, where passengers can ride in a truck bed at 65 miles per hour.
The rule traces back to Idaho's agricultural history, when putting farmhands in the back of a pickup truck was simply the easiest way to move people around a property.
The practice carries significant risk. According to the National Institutes of Health, being ejected from a vehicle in a crash increases the chances of dying by 40 times.
